CREATIVE WRITING / PREPARATION

CREATIVE WRITING

Always start with your local College and University courses. Normally they will offer extensive courses in writing techniques. You may consult our file on Graduate Schools or seek help through the many private school offerings. Although many regard creative writing as highly specialised we hope that the below links will provide you with proper guidance and valuable information.

Creative writing is a term used to distinguish certain imaginative or different types of writing from generic writing. The lack of specificity of the term is partly intentional, designed to make the process of writing accessible to everyone (of all ages) and to ensure that non-traditional, or traditionally low-status writing (for example, writing by marginalized social groups, experimental writing, genre fiction) is not excluded from academic consideration or dismissed as trivial or insignificant. This distinction is helpful in separating the writing from more technical writing , professional writing or journalistic writing .

Taught courses in creative writing are increasingly popular, ranging from one-day workshops to three- or four-year university degrees. The university program has become a common and popular addition to the English field of study alongside such emphases as English education, technical writing, communication and professional writing. While some people still argue that true talent for writing cannot be taught, it is now generally accepted that it is possible to teach techniques which help people access or exploit their creativity , from overcoming writer's block and generating random ideas, to understanding how standard genres of writing achieve their effects and structuring their work. The field has also made a way to teach young minds about the processes of editing and publishing such work. In fact, noted authors such as Michael Chabon are graduates of university creative writing programs.

I recently learned of writers' rooms in Boston and Santa Monica I hadn't heard of before. The Santa Monica space, The Office, opened recently, but The Writers' Room of Boston has been providing writers with safe, affordable workspace in downtown Boston since 1988. Spaces such as these are heavensent for those living with roommates or families in small apartments. In addition, they often provide isolated writers with community. Check out these additions, and others in places as far ranging as New York , Minneapolis , and Hamburg , to begin your search for a room of your own.